Iranian academic will appeal against prison sentence for criticising government

Sadegh Zibakalam was sentenced for tweeting in March about the alleged poisoning of schoolchildren in Iran

One of the most distinguished former political science professors at the University of Tehran, who was sentenced to a year in jail for tweeting about the alleged poisoning of schoolchildren, has said his sentence was inexplicable and he will appeal against it.

Sadegh Zibakalam said nothing in his tweet directly accused the government of being behind the mysterious spate of alleged poisonings of schoolchildren that left hundreds in hospital and no one charged.